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Vote on Desiree Davidson's Story
Were they afraid we were planning a coup d'etat?
I spent my first summer during Columbia Law School at a firm in Philadelphia described as one of the best places in the city for black lawyers. I believed that if there was any place where I would have an equal chance at opportunities, be treated fairly and succeed, this would be it. There were three black female summer associates out of sixty that year but any time all three of us were in an office talking, one of the partners would knock on the door to see how we were doing. It happened too often to be a coincidence that sometimes we would purposely agree to meet in so-and-so's office to test our theory that we were being monitored. Like clock work, ten minutes after we would get together a partner would stop by.
Isabel Thomas's Experiences
As an assistant director of my alma mater, I traveled to several high schools in the South for recruiting purposes.
In my first management position I received feedback from my supervisor that I was doing very well but that some of the Caucasian female supervisors were uncomfortable with me because I wasn't asking them for help.
When something questionable occurred, I kept asking myself, "Is this happening to me because I'm black or because I'm a woman or because I'm over 40 years-old?" Or maybe this person is just having a bad day.